Parents say

Kids say

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X of Y

X of Y

X of Y

A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

Educational Value

Kids can learn about empathy, teamwork, friendship, and strategy in this simple dungeon crawler starring Nintendo's iconic pocket monsters. Each dungeon has its own little story, often accompanied by simple moral and social messages. Playing alone, kids will work out strategies for dealing with different enemies, and when working with other players, they’ll cooperate to more expediently clear dungeons.

Positive Messages

Most of the game is simply about fighting monsters. However, the Pokemon usually learn a simple lesson after each dungeon, such as not to give up or to be forgiving.

Positive Role Models & Representations

The Pokemon here may fight a lot, but they're generally good little guys. Even some enemies end up changing their naughty ways once confronted by the game's kind and forgiving heroes. Kids could take away a lesson about being tolerant and sympathetic.

Ease of Play

Movement, selecting attacks, and navigating menus are all pretty straightforward. Kids as young as 7 can make their way through most dungeons with relative ease, assuming they read -- and heed -- the in-game instructions.

Violence & Scariness

Pokemon battle each other using attacks with names like "scratch," "water gun," and "sting." Players will see the tiny cartoonish creatures jump, spin around, and swipe, accompanied by simple effects such as splashes of water or flashes of light. Damage is represented by a loss of hit points. Losers don't die and aren't seriously injured, but instead simply faint.

Language

Consumerism

This game is part of Nintendo's popular and ubiquitous Pokemon franchise, which includes games, shows, movies, toys, and collectibles.

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity is unlike traditional Pokemon games in that players actually play as Pokemon rather than collect them. That means it's the player's character doing the fighting, not a pet commanded by the player. What's more, these Pokemon talk and have vibrant personalities. Some are mean and do bad things, but most are good and honorable and looking for ways to help their fellow pocket monsters -- even those who are misbehaving.

What's it about?

Rather than taking on the role of a trainer who collects monsters, trains them, and pits them in battle against other monsters, POKEMON MYSTERY DUNGEON: GATES TO INFINITY has players taking on the roles of the Pokemon themselves. They wander freely around towns without a master, talk to one another, and go on adventures together, exploring large, winding, randomly generated dungeons, each with its own story. Players can also find additional dungeons in the real world by using the 3DS's camera to scan objects in their immediate environment, creating gateways to new locations. Up to four players can go on quests together via a local network.

Is it any good?

Nintendo has done a good job of subtly exploiting of some of the 3DS' more interesting features here, including scanning objects to create to new dungeons and using Street Pass to anonymously swap "reviver" seeds with other players that can come in handy in a pinch. And the Pokemon themselves are as cute as ever, thanks not only to their adorable designs but also their generous and noble little personalities.

Sadly, the action grows monotonous pretty quickly. The randomly generated dungeons are visually bland and chore-like to explore, and combat lacks strategy and spectacle. It's just the same corridors in different configurations, the same battles with only minor differences in attack types. Pokemon addicts may stick with it until the end, but casual fans will likely lose interest before too long.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about emotions and forgiveness. Have you ever forgiven someone who has done something mean to you? How did it make you feel? How did it make them feel?

Families can also discuss the difference between being a combatant and commanding a battle. Is one role more important than the other? If the conflict is morally dubious, is one more culpable than the other?

How does your family go about choosing video games? Here are some tips that can help.

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